Ontario Premier Doug Ford says it’s time for Canada to stop letting the United States be the “bully” when it comes to tariffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to slap a 50 per cent levy on a variety of goods by next month has been the talk of the First Ministers Meetings in PEI this week.

Premier Doug Ford says reciprocal tariffs are needed if CUSMA is not renewed.

“We need to hit ’em back as hard as we can,” said Ford. “I’m tired of the bully trying to take our lunch money all the time. We always seem to be on our back heels – we need to be on the offence – not constantly on the defence with President Trump. We need to stand up to the bully and we need to hit ’em tariff to tariff.”

We can’t roll over and we won’t back down.

Team Canada needs to be united, standing up to President Trump and hitting back tariff for tariff until we get a fair trade deal. pic.twitter.com/4elxAlp7D2

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) July 21, 2026

One of the things that has ruffled Trump’s feathers is provincial bans on the sale of American booze. Premier Tony Wakeham says he has no plans to put U.S. liquor back on NLC shelves, but doesn’t believe tariffs from either side are the way to go.

“Well the challenge is that tariffs don’t work for anyone. They don’t work for the people of the United States. They don’t work for the people of Canada.”

“Canada and the U.S., we have more that brings us together than we do separates us. So tariffs are not effective for anyone.”